Meet the Lonesome Hoboes, a ragtag gang of nomads united by one common cause: to attend each and every concert in Bob Dylan's Never-Ending Tour. But in Chicago, a simple twist of fate reunites the misfits with a former Hobo and his new girlfriend, revealing the thin line between truly following a dream and merely blowin' in the wind...
An exploration of fan obsession and the complex relationship between the exalted artist and his unwashed masses, The Lonesome Hoboes is a Dylanesque comedy about being Tangled Up in Bob.
Reviews and Articles
FROM CHICAGO TRIBUNE: July 16th, 2005
Dylan fanatics will recognize themselves in 'Lonesome Hoboes'
By Nina Metz
Special to the Tribune
As a kid, Joe had a thing for the Beatles. Then he heard Bob Dylan for the first time and it was "goodbye 'Penny Lane,' hello 'Desolation Row.'"
For anyone who has ever known (or been) a like-minded fanatic, "The Lonesome Hoboes" is right up your alley. Those who have sat through endless bull sessions touting the merits of the Grateful Dead or Phish will recognize this territory as well. With an easygoing comedic touch, playwright George Brant taps into the eccentric world of music fan mania.
Joe (Tucker Curtis) was once a member of The Lonesome Hoboes, a ragtag group of self-styled Dylan acolytes whose good-natured obsessiveness borders on the lunatic. They know every fact, rumor and detail about their hero. They travel to every show — in their parlance, they're "on tour" with the guy. They even dress up as Dylan lyrics, including, pretty hilariously, "Like a Rolling Stone's" diplomat "who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat."
It all got to be a bit much for Joe, who forsakes Dylan in favor of reality. But he returns one night, a new girlfriend in tow (the excellent Kaitlin Byrd) to visit the Hoboes as they gather in the backroom of a Chicago bar.
Most striking about this Factory Theater production is its appealing, laid-back vibe, an unexpected turn from a troupe that generally adheres to an over-the-top laugh philosophy. The characters here may be screwy, but under the astute direction of Steve Walker, they are never less than real.
Through Aug 21 at Prop Thtr, 3504 N. Elston Ave.; $12-$18 at 312-409-3247.
FROM CHICAGO SUN TIMES: July 15th, 2005
Never-Ending story of 'Hoboes' tracks Dylan fans
BY MARY HOULIHAN Curtain Call
Playwright George Brant was going through a dry spell a few years ago when his wife suggested he write something about Bob Dylan. The idea led to The Lonesome Hoboes, a work not so much about Dylan but instead about his rabid fans, especially those determined to follow the Never-Ending Tour to its very end.
"I've been to quite a few shows and became intrigued by all the people there," said Brant, a longtime fan of the iconic singer-songwriter. "I wondered about the stories behind the faces. These fans had logged many, many miles following Mr. Dylan around."
The Lonesome Hoboes are a ragtag group of fans united by their common cause of seeing Dylan perform. At a show in Chicago, they are reunited with a former Hobo who disappeared from the scene during the last tour. It's an encounter that sets in motion a re-examination of obsessive dreams and everyday reality.
Brant tries to keep his Dylan worship "somewhere on the edge of sanity." He admits most of the characters in the play contain parts of himself, but he wanted to take it further and examine the borderline one crosses into obsessive fandom. As he says, "When is enjoying someone too much? How far can you divorce yourself from what we consider normal life and still exist in today's world? Is it OK to leave that normal life, and what does that say about you?"
Brant had a lot to work with; Dylan draws one of the more interesting crowds on today's music scene. The spectrum ranges from young Deadheads looking for a new idol to 60-somethings with long, flowing gray hair who have been true to Dylan since the '60s.
"Dylan is just such a singular personality," said Brant. "And there is a certain elitism in liking him; not everyone gets him. It's kind of an exclusive club. You love the songs and grow to love the voice, and once you're hooked, it gets scary. It's all downhill from there."
Factory Theatre's production of "Lonesome Boys" opens Sunday and continues through Aug. 21 at Prop Thtr, 3504 N. Elston. Tickets: (312) 409-3247.
The Cast
Kaitlin Byrd, Tucker Curtis, Christine Jennings, Bill O'Connor, Manny Tamayo, Chas Vrba, Steve Welsh.
Asst Director: Jason Lubow
Stage Manager: Joe Gehr
Set Design: Becky Marshall
Light Design: Dan Tamarkin
Graphic Artist: Ben Utley
Kaitlin Byrd (Sara)
Kaitlin is excited to work with the Factory for the first time. Most recently, she was seen in Timeline Theatre's production of This Happy Breed. Other notable roles include, Lorna in The Cider House Rules with Famous Door, Mollie in The Mousetrap with Broutil & Frothingham, Mayella in To Kill A Mockingbird with Collaboraction, and May in Last Train to Nibroc with Nebraska Repertory Theatre. Kaitlin hails from the fine state of Nebraska where she received her B.A in Theatre at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She thinks Bob Dylan rocks.
Bill O'Conner (Tiny)
Bill O’Connor last worked for Steve Walker in ian pierce’s Living in the Present Tense for Hope and Nonthings. They also did shows together at the now sadly defunct Big Game Theatre. Speaking of sadly defunct, Bill would like to express his thanks to Famous Door for their example over the last eighteen years—Sunt aliquid manes: letum non omnia finit, luridaque evictos effugit umbra rogos. Yeah, he’s pretentious like that.
Tucker Curtis (Joe)
Tucker is a very fortunate man. Not only is he blessed with being a fan of World Championship teams like the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots, but he's also been able to play with the best of the Chicago theater community since 2001 including the Viaduct, Open Eye, Free Associates, and
the awesome peeps at WNEP. And as if that weren't enough, now he's gotten to work with the fantastic Factory Theater three times in the past year. Three times! He's pretty sure that's not a record. Previously seen crack-smoking and drinking his way through the Factory's Poppin' and Lockdown 2 and Toast of the Town (respectively), Tucker is excited at completing his "inebriated trilogy" with the fine folks in and around The Lonesome Hoboes bar setting. At this time, Tucker invites you to insert your own meaningful Bob Dylan lyrics here and momentarily reminisce about the first time you heard them. Thanks. Tucker has temporarily learned his lesson about including people's names in his bio so, for now, he would like to publicly thank all worthy people to the appropriate level of their support and inspiration. They should know who they are.
A full list can be provided to any interested party after each show. And thanks to all of you for coming out tonight. Enjoy...
Christine Jennings (Queen Mary)
Christine Jennings has been involved with da Factory since '96 and continues to be inspired by her family here. Thanks to George, Walker, Lubes and her fellow hoboes. Love to Mom & Dad: My Heroes. Peace.
Manuel Tamayo (Martin)
Manny is a proud member of the Factory ensemble. He was last seen in Toast of the Town as "Roy pronounced WAH". He hails from Joliet.
Chas Vrba (Sean)
Chas understands a bit about fan culture. He owns a Hunter, and two Concords. Factory credits include: Toast of the Town, Menage a Trailer, Poppin and Lockdown 2: Dance the Right Thing, Chicagostyle, Goooooo! Speech Team!, Poppin' and Lockdown, Captain Raspberry, White Trash Wedding and a Funeral, and The Endzone! among others. He loves Bob Dylan, but he's not in love with him. This performance goes out to his brother, Geoff, who has attended 2,917 Phish concerts and probably a few Bob Dylan shows as well.
Steve Welsh (Elliot)
"Hey, man, you gotta listen to this; I'll get you a
copy" and "No, no, no. Goddammit to Hell, Swamp, Mr. Jones", are two lines of his that were cut from the show. But not to worry... He has more. But listen, it's quiet and he likes it like that... And no, he's not hung over. Much.
The Crew
George Brant (Playwright):
George Brant has previously collaborated with the Factory Theater: writing Dick Danger! DJ Crime Solver and KONG!, and acting in their productions of Bitches and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Brant's other plays include: One Hand Clapping, Night of the Mime, The Royal Historian of Oz, BORGLUM! The Mount Rushmore Musical, Three Men in a Boat, Tights on a Wire and Lovely Letters. His more recent plays - Terminal One, NOK, Restless Farewell, Ripped and All Apologies have been honored as Finalists for the Herrick Theatre Foundation's New Play Competition, Hangar Theatre Lab Company Playwriting Residencies, and the Clauder Competition, as well as invited to be included in Prop Thtr's New Play Festival 2003, Circle Theatre's New Play Festival 2003, Atlantis Playmakers' SAS PlayFEST 2005 and Last Frontier Theatre Festival 2005. In August he will be attending UT-Austin as a Michener Writing Fellow.
Joe Gehr (Stage Manager):
Joe hasn't had much time to write this bio. He hasn't had much time to spend with this lovely cast. He hopes to get funky with them soon, or now, yeah probably now. How about now? Does this look like a Q?
Jason Lubow (Assistant Director):
Jason has been a Factory ensemble member since 2000. This marks Lubow's 18th outing with these fine folks since 1996...some of his favorites include White Trash Wedding & A Funeral, Battleaxe Betty, Poppin' & Lockdown, Among The Dead, and Here Comes A Regular..."precious memories, how they linger"...Lubow has also been spotted working with The Hypocrites, OEP, Chicago Opera Theatre, Mary-Arrchie Theater Co., The Apollo Studio, Theatre At The Center in Munster, IN., and the (defunct) Defiant Theatre. Next up, Lubow is directing Factory's remount of Rapid Fire for The Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival, Aug. 19-21 at Angel Island. Check it out! At this point, Lubow would like to heartily thank Walker for the chance, and inform you that his son's name was inspired by the fine album "Highway 61 Revisited"...not Luke Perry's role in "Bevery Hills, 90210".
Becky Marshall (Set Designer):
She designed the set. She loves Factory, loves everyone involved in Factory, loves her family and her furry cordless chipper shredder dog too. No no, thank you!
Dan Tamarkin (LD & TD):
Dan is thrilled to be working wth such a marvelous group.
A recent addition to the Factory clan, Dan spends his downtime swinging cats,
playing strings with Nutmeg Slim & the Uptown Motherpluckers (available for
all your jugband needs), bicycling & climbing, and running Why A Duck Theatrical Productions, a design and rental service for Chicago theater. Thanks and praise to everyone at the Factory, to Jean, and to each of you for sharing this lovely evening of Stravinsky.
Steve Walker (Director):
Steve Walker is an Ensemble Member of the Factory and a former Artistic Director. Previous Factory directing credits include Captain Raspberry, Poppin' and Lockdown, Poppin' and Lockdown 2: Dance the Right Thing, Brett Neveu's Eagle Hills Eagle Ridge Eagle Landing, Endzone, Repair Guys and a remount of White Trash Wedding and a Funeral, among others. As an actor he appeared in Captain Raspberry, Alive, Preying Manthis, Win Place or Show (also co-director), Clean, The Vinyl Shop, Surface Dwellers, etc. He has worked with many companies around town, most recently appearing in Suburban Motel with Famous Door. He can be seen in the films "Stir of Echoes" and "Dot". This summer he will travel to the New York Fringe Festival with the Neofuturists to remount their production of The Last Two Minutes of the Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen.
